Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognosis of Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Stomach: Results From a Chinese Mono-Institutional Study

Background: Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) of the stomach is a histological type based on microscopic characteristics, and its clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis are still controversial. Methods: A retrospective analysis was under taken for 2,315 patients with gastric cancer who had undergone gastrectomy from 1980 to 2004. Among them, 211 patients had SRC and were compared with 2,104 patients with non-signet ring cell carcinoma (NSRC). Results: Significant differences were noted in age, gender, and depth of tumor invasion between patients with SRC and NSRC of early gastric carcinoma. There were statistically significant differences in age, gender, macroscopic appearance, tumor size, depth of tumor invasion, peritoneal dissemination, and curability between patients with SRC and NSRC of advanced gastric carcinoma. In early gastric carcinoma, patients with SRC had a significantly better survival rate than those with NSRC, and the signet ring cell histology was an independent predictive factor. In advanced gastric carcinoma, there was no significant difference of survival rate between SRC and NSRC, and the signet ring cell histology was not an independent predictive factor. Conclusions: SRC is a distinct type of gastric carcinoma in terms of clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011;103:700-703. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.